JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Photographer Wei Yuet Wong on ‘The Fukushima Project’
Article/Journalism, Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Events, Interview/Profile, JQ Magazine 
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“Though people have told me no one wants to see disaster photos anymore, I think it’s a good reminder because it’s barely three years, and already people are forgetting. Not only outside Japan, but within Japan itself, people are forgetting. It’s true that people need to move on and rebuild their lives, but there’s still so much more work to be done in Tohoku.” (Courtesy of Wei Yuet Wong)
By Nathalie Ng (Shizuoka-ken, 2010-11) For JQ magazine. A member of JETAA Singapore, Nathalie was an inaka JET and her time in Japan has taught her to appreciate the flowers by the roadside and how to snowboard.
Wei Yuet Wong (Nagano-ken, 2008-10) left his home in Singapore to join JET following a summer homestay in Hiroshima. He went there because of the history as he’d learnt about the devastation during World War II, and he was particularly interested in seeing how the city had progressed since then. The relationship formed with his homestay family inspired him to join JET.
Assigned to three different schools in Ueda City, during his first few months he was often left feeling clueless and dependent on his supervisor due to the language barrier and the office hierarchy, but he soon got better at it by keeping an open mind and adapting. He is particularly proud that he was able to inspire in his students that they didn’t have to speak English with an American accent to be understood, and this has helped them to be more confident, speaking out during and outside of classes. (In fact, one of Wong’s former students even visited him and his family during the Chinese New Year.)
Since returning from Japan Wong has been working as a corporate warrior, but since last year he has finally taken the leap to pursue his photography interests. His work is now on display in a new exhibition called The Fukushima Project, which runs through 14th February at Select Books in Singapore on 51 Armenian Street. Through special postcards available for sale, visitors can write messages to the people of Hisanohama in Iwaki, which will then be collected and sent to them to let them know that their story has not been forgotten.
In this exclusive interview, JQ spoke with Wong about his visits to Fukushima before and after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and the relationships he’s made with the locals through his numerous community activities.
You were posted to Nagano-ken and you lived there before the quake happened. What was your motivation for this exhibition?
I felt awed and hopeless when I first looked at the videos of the earthquake, perhaps like so many people around the world. Then why Fukushima? I think there may be three explanations. One, I first visited Fukushima in 2009 to visit friends, so I got to see Fukushima before the disaster. It was quite a different place.
Two, I have friends in Fukushima, and they live in Koriyama city, about 45 km away from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. I was concerned about them. I was curious to know how they felt on the day of the earthquake, and then during the subsequent confusion about the nuclear power plant. I also wanted to see how they are doing when most other parts of the world, and Japan, starts forgetting about them.
Lastly, I wanted to experience how it would be like to venture into the disaster zone. I have a need to see things for myself. To touch the soil. Walk on the sand. Smell the salty air on the Japanese east coast, and try to imagine how people felt that day.
Why did you choose this particular town of Hisanohama?
It was by chance that I discovered this town. It’s quite a story, one thing leading to another, with some fortunate chance encounters. But, the best summary is: I met a friend at Koriyama Station to listen to her account, and her experiences. After that I wanted to visit the coast, so she told me that Iwaki is where I should go. With my ticket bought, I hopped on the bus for the 1.5 hour journey to Iwaki. Once at Iwaki, I went to the local tourist office, and asked for directions to the coast. The person at the office looked quite surprised, and she pulled out a map, studied it for a moment, and said, “Maybe you shouldn’t go. We used to have nice beaches, shrines, and attractions. But now, nani mo nai (there’s nothing).” I was not put off, and she finally realised that I would still go no matter what, and she suggested why don’t I go to Hisanohama, where I can have a nice walk, and just look around. So, there I went.
In the international media, most people know about Kesennuma, Rikuzentakata and Minamisoma, but Hisanohama remains unknown. So, I think it’s nice that I visited Hisanohama. It’s a town just 31 km south of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, along the Pacific Coast, and has suffered great damage in the tsunami.
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York — ‘Dragon Ball’ in Color, Lolita Fashions, ONE OK ROCK’s Debut
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Dragon Ball Full Color makes its English-language debut in print and digital Feb. 4. (VIZ Media LLC)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from the debut performance of one of Japan’s most successful live acts, another performance from one of the country’s biggest crossover stars, and an annual showcase that brings the sights (and tastes) of Japan to vivid life.
This month’s highlights include:
Saturday, Feb. 1, 6:00 p.m.
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue
Free
The final entry of the film series Vengeance Is Shohei Imamura! Yasuko was exposed to black rain, the radioactive fallout from the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Years later, she and her townsmen continue to rebuild their life and endure the aftermath. At an age ripe for marriage, Yosuko has been rejected by man after man for fear of radiation, even though she has shown no signs of any illness. The film juxtaposes present-day struggles with flashbacks to scenes of wartime devastation. A departure from Imamura’s usual interest in bawdy human behavior, this film brings him closer to his early mentor Ozu, who is known for his restrained and subdued study of quiet dignity and for whom Imamura acted as assistant director.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
Dragon Ball Full Color, Volume 1
$19.99 MSRP
Akira Toriyama’s epic manga series—one of the most popular of all time—makes its English-langage debut in full color, graphic novel-size in print and digital editions! Son Goku is the greatest hero on Earth. Five years after defeating the demon king Piccolo, he’s grown up and has a family. But what is the real reason for Goku’s incredible strength? A visitor from outer space arrives bearing terrible news—Goku is an alien, and the visitor, Raditz, is Goku’s brother! When Raditz turns out to be a ruthless killer, Goku must fight his incredibly strong brother to save his family and the entire human race. A surprising alliance may be Earth’s last hope: Goku will team up with his old enemy Piccolo to save the world!
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street
$30 reserved, $35 premium
Akiko Yano returns to Joe’s Pub with her longtime New York friends/virtuoso musicians Will Lee and Chris Parker, answering overwhelming demand from the fans who caught their previous go-round in November 2012. See the pop and jazz chanteuse whom Jon Pareles of the New York Times calls “a world class songwriter with a clear, gentle, wide-ranging voice. She is also an accomplished, endearing performer who might be a Japanese Carole King, Joni Mitchell or Meredeith Monk…”
For the complete story, click here.
2014 Sakura Season Kicks Off
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Posted by Benjamin Martin, a JET from 2008-2013 in Okinawa, publisher of the blog MoreThingsJapanese.com and author of Revenge of the Akuma Clan
(Tuttle).
Down in Okinawa the weather has been rather warm this year. This means that along the way we’ve had some great opportunities to view this year’s cherry blossoms as they begin to bloom from southern Okinawa and work their way north. On Kume Island, there are two great spots to see sakura throughout January. During the season’s peak we get lots of bees and mejiro coming to visit the sakura, not to mention tourists.
One of the biggest events surrounding the sakura is the Sakura Festival. Though there are many throughout Japan, Kumejima’s is one of the first in Japan. Visit morethingsjapanese.com for more pictures from the Sakura Festival and for more cherry blossoms!
WIT Life #260: Shohei Imamura Film Festival at Asia Society
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
First of all, a belated 明けましておめでとうございます！ It’s been a busy start to 2014, but I’m happy to be blogging again in the year of the horse (午年 or umadoshi). It being umadoshi is good news for people like me whose animal sign is the horse, as one is said to have good luck when the zodiac sign for the current year is the same as the one from the year when you were born. This makes me what is called a 年女 (toshi onna), and I’m hoping this year of the horse gives me faster feet in the many marathons I run…
In conjunction with the Japan Foundation, the Asia Society is currently featuring the Vengeance is Shohei Imamura film series from January 17-February 1. I have been a fan of Imamura’s ever since seeing The Eel (「うなぎ」, with Yakusho Koji playing a former convict) in 1997, and was glad to have the opportunity to check out some of his other flicks. He was the first Japanese director to win two Palme d’Or awards, one for Unagi, and one for The Ballad of Narayama (「楢山節考」) in 1983, screened this past Saturday night as part of the Imamura film festival.
Set in the 19th century, the movie takes place in a small rural Japanese village where they have Read More
JQ Magazine: North American Alumni Regional Conference Advances JETAA Initiative
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Delegates to the 2014 JETAA Regional Conference at the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University, Jan. 2014. (Courtesy of Tim Ogino)
By Tim Ogino (Akita-ken, 2011-13) for JQ magazine. Tim returned from Japan last summer and immediately became involved in NEJETAA as communications coordinator/webmaster. After spending two wonderful years in Tohoku, he returned to Boston to attend graduate school and is excited to remain involved with the Japanese community, looking forward to the day he can return to the land of festivals, kiritampo, and karaoke.
With New Year’s goals and resolutions firmly prepared, 34 JETAA delegates from 15 chapters across North America gathered for the 2014 JETAA Regional Conference at the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA from Jan. 10-12 to discuss ways to improve their JETAA chapters. The New England JETAA chapter played host to this year’s conference and organized a series of discussions, workshops, and seminars under the theme of “Membership Management.”
The week preceding the conference was filled with anticipation about not only the content of the seminars and workshops, but also the weather in Boston. Stories about the week’s now infamous “polar-vortex” surely were intimidating to JET Alumni from warmer climates. Luckily, the temperatures recovered just in time for a comfortable and productive weekend for all in attendance.
The conference began on Friday night with a welcome reception graciously hosted by the Consul General of Japan in Boston, Akira Muto, which featured special guests Museum of Fine Arts Curator Dr. Anne Nishimura Morse and founding JETAA member Professor Ian Condry (Miyagi-ken, 1988-89) of MIT. Their kind remarks emphasized the importance of membership in JETAA as well as the presence of Japanese culture and art in America, setting an ambitious tone for the rest of the weekend.
*****
Writer, researcher, and JET alumnus Matt Leichter (Saitama-ken ’03-’05) will give an encore performance of his lecture, “College Education: Certain Debt, Uncertain Income.” It will again be hosted by the Henry George School of Social Science in New York City. The event date is Wednesday, January 29, at 6:30 PM. The location is not the school’s normal address; instead it will be at:
NYC Seminar and Conference Center
71 West 23rd Street (corner of 6th Ave.)
New York, NY 10010
Here is the lecture’s abstract:
Soaring costs for education, together with limited job opportunities and stagnant wage growth, place substantial financial and psychological burdens on students.
Noted columnist and researcher Matt Leichter reviews tuition inflation, cuts in public funding and the business of lending to students. Mr. Leichter will also propose reforms to the system of financing college education.
Space is limited; please register to attend by emailing hgs.billy@gmail.com.
JET Talks: Temple by Temple Sneak Peek
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JET Talks is JETAADC’s speaker series modeled after TED Talks that features dynamic and interesting individuals to inspire innovative ideas and conversation on Japan within the DC community.
Chelsea is from Guam. Elayna is from Michigan. In 2009, they both moved to Japan with the JET Programme to teach English in Ehime Prefecture. While there, they traveled the 900-mile pilgrimage route in Shikoku visiting 88 temples in 15 days. With so many stories from the trip, they began looking for a way to combine their talents (Elayna illustrates; Chelsea writes) to tell these stories. Using Kickstarter, they successfully funded their project and returned to Shikoku to travel the pilgrimage route once more — this time creating illustrated hand-bound books, postcards, bracelets and more for the 270 donors that made their trip possible.
On Wed., Jan. 29, Chelsea Reidy and Elayna Snyder of bigricefield.com will make a TED Talks-style presentation at Georgetown University in Washington, DC (register today!) telling their story — from their time on JET through their book project, crowdfunding, and the relationships they built along the way. Until then, Chelsea and Elayna have shared some pictures from their journey…
Coming down from temple 24 we found a cat curled up on our packs.
Chelsea paused on the way down from temple 60. After biking up numerous hills, the road became to steep and we had to leave our bikes and finish the trek on foot.
This illustration was inspired by all of the help we received along the way. Here, a woman offers the girl fresh spring water.
You can find more pictures of their journey and illustrations from their book on the JETAADC blog.
JETAA Ottawa Newsletter – December 2013
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Via JETAA Ottawa. Posted by Gemma Villanueva (Fukushima 2008-11), the past editor for the JETAA Ottawa Newsletter.
The latest digital issue of the JETAA Ottawa Newsletter can be viewed here: http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=4d0d4aa436ad87ff44921adec&id=80f9a73363
What’s in this issue?
Download past issues here:
http://us4.campaignarchive2.com/home/?u=4d0d4aa436ad87ff4492
1adec&id=13d4251245
Justin’s Japan: ‘Evangelion: 3.0,’ Stanley Clarke Trio, K-pop Concert Debuts
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Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo makes its New York theatrical debut at Big Cinemas Manhattan Jan. 10. (© khara. Licensed by FUNimation® Productions, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Start 2014 off right by heading down to your local concert hall, cinema or arts center for some fantastic new year’s fare. Whether you enjoy cutting edge anime, a performance from Grammy-winning and pop sensations, or a classic film favorite of the legendary Donald Richie, treat yourself and catch a break from the cold.
This month’s highlights include:
Sunday, Jan. 5, 7:00 p.m.
MIKA Samba Jazz Trio
Somethin’ Jazz Club, 212 East 52nd Street, 3rd Floor
$12
Presented by Mar Creation, New York-based samba jazz pianist and recording artist MIKA will have her first concert in 2014 at midtown’s venerable Somethin’ Jazz Club, supported by Rafael Barata (drums) and Eduardo Belo (bass). A native of Rio de Janeiro, Barata brings the bossa nova, Belo brings the bottom, and MIKA knits it all together, evoking the warm, soothing sounds of Ipanema and beyond to kick off the new year in style.
Jan. 8-12
Niwa Gekidan Penino—The Room Nobody Knows
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$28/$22 Japan Society members
North American debut! Two brothers inhabit a mysterious, dreamlike apartment. On the day of the elder’s birthday, the younger, who is supposed to be studying for college entrance exams, is preoccupied with creating unusual objects for the celebration. Meanwhile, in the upper room, the younger brother’s alter egos—derived from his wild imagination and taking the form of two creatures, one with a sheep’s head and another with pig features—help with the party preparations. Written and directed by psychiatrist turned most-talked-about theater artist Kuro Tanino and performed by his company Niwa Gekidan Penino, The Room Nobody Knows lures you into a weird yet funny world hidden deep within the Tokyo metropolis. Performed in Japanese with English subtitles. A MetLife Meet the Artists Reception follows the Jan. 8 performance.
Thursday, Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Best Buy Theater, 1515 Broadway
$50-$180
Forming in their native South Korea in 2008 and big in Japan (where they have toured and released albums since 2011), boy band U-KISS is finally touring America for the very first time! U-KISS (an acronym for Ubiquitous Korean International Super Star) consists of members Kevin, Eli, AJ, Soohyun, Kiseop, and Hoon. The band will kick off a new series of concerts titled “THE HEADLINERS,” which promises to bring spectacular 360-degree content of these rising pop princes.
For the complete story, click here.
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York—Yayoi Kusama, Taka Kigawa, Taro Hakase, VAMPS
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Yayoi Kusama with Love Is Calling (2013) installed as part of the artist’s inaugural exhibition I Who Have Arrived in Heaven at David Zwirner Gallery, on view through Dec. 21. (Will Ragozzino)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
With Thanksgiving weekend (and the hopes of eating right) now just a memory, we turn to colder weather, falling snow, and the new year to come. Fortunately for Japanese culture fans, December is just as busy as the holiday season itself. Whether you’re hosting guests from out of town or looking to squeeze in an event or two in between parties, we’ve got you covered.
This month’s highlights include:
Now through Saturday, Dec. 21
Yayoi Kusama: I Who Have Arrived in Heaven
David Zwirner Gallery, 525 West 19th Street
Free
In case you missed last year’s retrospectiveat the Whitney featuring the artist’s mega-buzzed about Fireflies on the Water, this current exhibition by Yayoi Kusama features 27 new large-scale paintings and The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, a new mirrored infinity room made especially for this exhibition and the United States debut of another infinity room, which was recently on view in Tokyo at the Mori Art Museum. Also exhibited is the artist’s video installation, entitled Manhattan Suicide Addict, that draws its title from her first semi-autobiographical novel published in 1978.
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 8:00 p.m.
Three’s Keys feat. Taka Kigawa
Klavierhaus Recital Hall, 211 West 58th Street
$15
As part of its third annual festival entitled Timbre Tantrum, Composers Concordance(“Enterprising new music organization” –New York Times) presents this all-piano production featuring Taka Kigawa (“Extraordinary pianist” –New York Times), Inna Faliks (“Signature blend of grace and raw power” –Lucid Culture) and Carlton Holmes (“Inventive” –Jazziz). Each pianist will present a 20-minute solo set of their own contemporary repertoire, including music by Shchedrin, Zhurbin, Ellington, Palkowski, Monk, and Alexander. The grand finale serves up a triple-piano suite composed by Dan Cooper, Sean Hickey, Debra Kaye, Milica Paranosic, and Gene Pritsker performed on Klavierhaus’ antique instruments, including a 19th century Pleyel.The concert will be followed by a brief reception.
Thursday, Dec. 5, 8:00 p.m.
Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street
$49.50-$89.50
A violinist since the age of four, contemporary classical and crossover musician Taro Hakase returns to New York as part of his first-ever world tour. Entitled JAPONISM after his latest album, Hakase’s pop-infused compositions and charismatic showmanship are known to get fans dancing at his concerts. First brought to international attention following a collaboration soundtrack and a concert tour with Celine Dion in 1996, Hakase has performed before over two million people and has sold more than six million albums in Japan alone. Along with his eight piece band, Hakase brings his tour to one of New York’s most celebrated stages.
For the complete story, click here.
*****
Writer, researcher, and ex-JET Matt Leichter (Saitama-ken ’03-’05) will be presenting “College Education: Certain Debt, Uncertain Income” at the Henry George School of Social Science in New York City on Friday, December 20, at 6:30 PM. Here is the abstract:
Soaring costs for education, together with limited job opportunities and stagnant wage growth, place substantial financial and psychological burdens on students.
Noted columnist and researcher Matt Leichter reviews tuition inflation, cuts in public funding and the business of lending to students. Mr. Leichter will also propose reforms to the system of financing college education.
The school is located in Manhattan on East 30th Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue.
JETAA Singapore welcomes home recent returnees
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Thanks to JETAA Singapore’s Nathalie Ng for sharing this update, originally written by Shane Wong:
JETAA Singapore had a simple but fun welcome back reception for recent returnees of the JET Programme on 26 Oct 2013 at the Minds Café Funan Centre. Opened to all members and friends, the event was also attended by staff of the Embassy of Japan in Singapore and CLAIR Singapore.
After a brief round of introduction, smaller groups were formed where the chatter continued over games, free-flow drinks and snacks. It was a good time for members to reminiscence their time on the JET Programme with the recent returnees sharing their experiences working and living in Japan.
Congratulations on successfully completing your stint on the Programme, and welcome home!
And thank you, Akita, Aomori, Miyagi, Shimane, and Tottori for hosting and sharing your cultures with our JETs. We hope, as always, that this would be the beginning of closer ties between Japan and Singapore.
JET alumni from JETAANY meet Kumamon and Governor Kabashima at the Consul General’s residence
By Mark Frey (Kumamoto, 2002-2006), mark.frey@jetaanc.org
Updated with media coverage of the visit.
Boston and New York had the honor of hosting Kumamon’s North American debut last week! Who is Kumamon you may ask? The rosy-cheeked, sack-shaped bear is the official mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu. Voted the top “Yuru-kyara” (cuddly mascot character) in Japan, he has taken Japan by storm and sold more than $300 million worth of merchandise in 2012 alone.
Kumamon’s remarkable success in promoting his rural prefecture across Japan–there is even an exclusive “Kumamon Goods” store in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza neighborhood–is being studied in government offices and marketing departments across Japan. In fact, no less than the Wall Street Journal has published no fewer than three articles about the phenomenon.
If you’d like to learn more about Kumamon, including what he does every day, I recommend checking him out online:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kumamotodiary.en
Home page: http://kumamon-official.jp/
Kumamon accompanied Kumamoto Governor Kabashima during his visit to Boston on Novermber 12-13, which included giving a lecture at Harvard on “The Political Economy of Kumamon: A New Frontier in Japan’s Public Administration.”
Kumamon spent time with the Boston Red Sox’s mascot, Wally the Green Monster, for what was surely an important, high-level diplomatic meeting. The full itinerary of their Boston visit can be found here, here, and here. Media coverage of their visit includes:
Kumamon meets Boston Red Sox’s Wally the Green Monster at Fenway Park
The lovable bear and Governor Kabashima made their way down to New York on November 14, where they paid back the compliment with a visit the Wall Street Journal. Later they visited the Consul General’s residence, as part of a special reception to promote Kyushu. JET alumni from the New York Chapter of JETAA representing all of the prefectures of Kyushu were invited to the reception. In addition to presentations on Kyushu travel, tourism and shochu, Governor Kabashima introduced Kumamon. Guests dined on Kumamoto oysters and “ekiben” prepared by the chef from Hataka Tonton, and sipped shochu from the region. Kumamon and Governor Kabashima’s full New York itinerary can be found here. Media coverage of their visit includes:
Photos of JET alumni at Kyushu Promotion event at Consul General’s residence
Governor Kabashima is an interesting person. He was an “at-risk” student who grew up poor in Kumamoto. Against all odds, through hard work and dedication he ended up earning a PhD from Harvard and becoming a political science professor at University of Tokyo. His launch of the Kumamon public relations campaign is one of the great local promotion success stories of recent times.
Kabashima has also gotten a lot done in Kumamoto, including making some real headway in repairing Kumamoto’s troubled finances (he started by cutting his own salary), trying to resolve remaining issues related to Minamata disease, and blocking Tokyo’s plans to build a huge dam in the prefecture. A very good article about his life can be found here in the Asahi newspaper. The governor introduces himself and his views in two videos, here and here.
From the start, Kumamoto Prefecture and local communities have been dedicated supporters of the JET Program. Year after year, the prefecture has been near the top of the list in hosting the most JETs, hosting around 100 this year. I myself was a Kumamoto JET. I grew to love the prefecture while I lived there, and now consider it to be my “second home.”
Aso-Kuju National Park, Kumamoto
I encourage everyone to take some time to visit Kumamoto while traveling in Japan. The prefecture boasts some of the best onsen hot springs in the country. Aso-Kuju National Park is one of the natural wonders of the world, with its giant ancient crater that is so large that an entire volcano and six towns exist inside of it (I lived in one of them!). Kumamoto Castle is one of the three finest castles in Japan. Beautiful parks and gardens, beaches and mountains, history and culture, Kumamoto has it all!
If you are a JET alum from Kumamoto, I encourage you to join the LinkedIn Group for Kumamoto JET alumni here. In fact, I encourage all alumni to join their prefecture’s LinkedIn Group. You can find yours here. It’s a great way to stay connected with other alumni from your prefecture.
I’m glad JET alumni had a chance to welcome Governor Kabashima and Kumamon to the U.S. Congratulations on the great success of their first U.S. tour together!
WIT Life #253: Preserving Japanese Traditional Arts
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
This week I had the opportunity to interpret for a Japanese delegation comprised of two groups who traveled to New York to receive the annual Tiffany Foundation Award. This award was created by the Tiffany Foundation in collaboration with the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE), and it recognizes non-profits that are preserving Japanese traditional arts at the national and regional community levels. This year’s recipients were the Association for the Promotion of Ipponsugi Street, located in Ishikawa Prefecture, and envisi, located in Miyagi Prefecture. They were the 6th round of winners since the award’s establishment in late 2007.
The Association for the Promotion of Ipponsugi Street, whose members are featured here wearing the happi coats, preserves their city Nanao’s unique custom of 花嫁のれん (hanayome noren). Noren are long curtains that hang in the entrances to Japanese restaurants and traditional Japanese rooms, and the special bridal ones are dyed using the Kaga yuzen technique. Hanayome noren are hung in the doorway leading to the butsuma (a small room holding sacred objects) for the bride to walk through when she gets married, a ritual that Read More
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York—The Legend of Zelda, Osamu Tezuka, Dir En Grey, and Hotei
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The JET Alumni Association of New York presents a special screening of Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story at Columbia University Oct. 30. (© 2012 Global Film Network. All rights reserved.)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
From Nintendo to manga to metal to Tarantino, November is just as colorful as the blowing leaves in the air and on the ground. Add to that a Meiji era throwback exhibition at Resobox, the destroy-all-monsters vibe of Kaiju Big Battel (just in time for Turkey Day), and a world premiere at Japan Society and you’ve got an irresistibly epic rundown.
This month’s highlights include:
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 7:00 p.m.
JETAA New York presents Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story
Columbia University, Uris Hall 301
$7 advance, $10 at the door, students free with ID
Following its New York premiere at Japan Society last July, the New York chapter of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program Alumni Association presents an encore screening of this touching documentary film about Taylor Anderson and all the young people who travel the world trying to make a difference. Taylor was an extraordinary American who dedicated herself to teaching Japanese children in the JET program, living her dream right up to the events of March 11, 2011. Includes a post-screening Q&A session with director/producer Regge Life and Taylor’s father Andy Anderson.
Friday, Nov. 1, 8:00 p.m.
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Second Quest
The Theater at Madison Square Garden
$62.50-$112.50
While F. Scott Fitzgerald famously pooh-poohed second acts, second quests are an entirely different matter. Back by popular demand and presented by Jason Michael Paul Productions, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses returns to the Theater at MSG with breathtakingly new visuals and music exploring additional chapters from the Zelda franchise as well as the beautifully orchestrated four movement symphony recounting the classic storylines from some of the most popular video games in history. Take up your wooden sword and shield as a live orchestra and the Montclair State University Vocal Accord brings to life the masterpieces of legendary Nintendo composer and sound director Koji Kondo.
Thursday, Nov. 7
The Life & Works of Osamu Tezuka
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$25/$20 Japan Society members, seniors and students
Best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) is often credited as the “Godfather of Anime and Manga” due to his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and reimagining of genres. His work redefined Japanese cartoons, transforming them into an irresistible art form, and incorporated a variety of new styles in their creation. Leaving a lasting impact on literature and film, his work also influenced a range of other artistic genres. In this special lecture, Tezuka’s works are presented by JET alum Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica. This event is moderated by NYC-based cartoonist Katie Skelly. Ticket price includes a pre-event wine and Japanese hors d’oeuvres reception.
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